WHS Students Help Parents Build Resilience in Children

saddImagine your eight year old is stressed because she’s been struggling to keep up with her classmates in math.  Do you, A.) Hire a tutor for five hours of intensive tutoring each week;  B.) Offer to buy her a pony if her grades improve;  or C.) Drop everything and take her out for a round of miniature golf?

While it might sound strange, the benefits of playing a game with a trusted adult at a time of high stress and anxiety will likely do a lot more in the long run for that struggling young person than all the tutors and ponies in the world.  According to the American Psychological Association, resilience skills–like maintaining connections with adults and taking time to relax–can help us deal with adversity, stress, trauma, and tragedy of all varieties.  These skills can be successfully learned if parents provide the proper kinds of developmental support for their children.

The Wayland High School chapter of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) are sponsoring Project Resilience, a program to help parents move from problem-solving strategies to building resilience in their children. Four Wayland High School students will share their own personal stories of positive parental support during a stressful or difficult time in elementary school. The program will begin with remarks on the subject from Dr. Dossie Kahn, Assistant Director of Wayland Youth and Family Services, and include small group discussions facilitated by the students. Parents of elementary and middle school aged children are encouraged to attend and participate in the small group discussions where they will brainstorm ways to support and build resilience in their own children.
Project Resilience is free and open to the public. The event will be held on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at the Wayland Middle School auditorium from 7-9pm.
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